


Bonfire of the Witches

by Mystic_Harley



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bonfires, Gen, Humanstuck, Jade actually plays her guitar, One Shot, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 16:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Harley/pseuds/Mystic_Harley
Summary: This time, Rose actually gets to experience some genuine witchcraft at the bonfire the coven are holding.
Kudos: 5





	Bonfire of the Witches

A warm breeze blew over Rose as she closed the door to Jade’s battered old pick-up truck and glanced out at the beach. “I haven’t been to the beach in ages…” She mused, pulling the chocolate and marshmallows out of the cab. “Although I shouldn’t be surprised Feferi owns a beach house.”   
  
“Feferi owns half the town Rose.” Jade reminded her, climbing in the back of the bed and hauling her amp up and slinging her guitar over her shoulder. “C’mon, they should already have the pizza… Assuming Damara didn’t eat it all.”   
  
They both giggled to themselves and Rose followed Jade down. The sun hung low on the horizon, bathing the beach in an orange hue that made the sand shimmer and the water glow enticingly. Rose adjusted her jacket a little and squinted when she saw black smoke curling into the air. “That’ll be them.” Jade noted, waving happily at the little shadowy figures in the distance, surrounded by a bright orange flame. “Hey girls! We’re here!” She shouted, although it was unlikely they heard her.   
  
Rose smiled a little when Feferi shouted something completely intelligible back to them, the blonde running up and almost tackling Rose over with a big hug. “There you two are! We’ve been waiting ages! Do you know how much Damara’s been complaining? She’s already eaten half of one of the pizzas.”   
  
“I hope you ordered extra then, considering how much of a black hole she is.” Rose replied, and she smirked when Feferi dissolved into a fit of giggling and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her over to the bonfire that was crackling enticingly.   
  
“It’s about damn time.” Damara huffed, taking another bite of her slice. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you two?”   
  
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Jade chided, setting her amp down on a giant log and sitting next to it. “And I bet you can tell us in exact detail how long we’ve kept you waiting. It’s not my fault Rose lives on the other end of town.”   
  
Rose blushed a little, declining to make any comment and instead grabbing a plate and piling a few slices on. She noted that Feferi had set up a few cushy lawn chairs for them, and up the shore she could see a house that looked like it cost something that might make even her own mother pause for a moment. “Do you often have bonfires?” She asked after taking a bite and swallowing.   
  
“Nah, not usually. We usually have at least once per season, except winter. Fuck being out here when it’s that cold.” She took another bite, nose wrinkling grumpily at the idea. “We usually have hot cocoa and watch shitty Christmas movies.” She continued around her mouthful of pizza, flipping Jade off in the process.   
  
Jade stuck her tongue out and unzipped her guitar case, silently tuning her bass up before unlooping the chords and plugging it into her amp. “Alright girls, time for some mood music.” Leaning back a little, she began to play. Rose watched with some fascination as Jade closed her eyes and lifted her head slightly, her fingers expertly moving across the strings. The deep rich sound of her bass guitar combined with the roaring waves of the ocean and the sounds of beach life made Rose feel a bit drowsy as she took another bite of her pizza, listening to Feferi and Damara gossiping with each other.   
  
“So how’s Meenah doing?” Damara asked, holding out a blunt to the fire to light it. She took a hit and blew the smoke high into the air.   
  
“She actually got a new girlfriend.” Feferi shrugged, pulling her hair back and tying it up. “She traded one Serket for another, although Vriska’s been pretty tame lately, something to do with therapy last time I checked.”   
  
Damara wrinkled her nose again. “Ugh, I bet Aranea isn’t taking that well.”   
  
“When does Aranea ever take things well?” Jade asked, still not opening her eyes, which impressed Rose even more as she kept playing.   
  
Feferi grimaced slightly. “You can guess how she’s reacting to this, I keep hearing her and Meenah fighting like sharks left and right. If it wasn’t for Vriska I think she’d snap, I’ve heard Aranea say some nasty things to her…. And me, for that matter.”    
  
Rose frowned as Damara gave a sigh. “Yeah, that sounds like Aranea. I’m surprised she didn’t threaten you, we know how much Serkets love threats.”   
  
“Erm…” Rose cut in, swallowing the last bite of her pizza. “This may be a little out of line but… why don’t we do something about it? Curse her, or something.   
  
It was like the atmosphere had been drenched in cold ice. Jade’s music abruptly stopped and all three of them stared at her. Rose shifted uncomfortable, feeling like she just said something very wrong. Feferi frowned at her deeply. “Curses are serious stuff Rose. We can’t just throw them around willy nilly like that.”   
  
“But…” Damara said, eyeing Rose in a fashion that she got the impression she was being looked at in a new light. “Aranea’s had it coming for a while now, Fef. Do you really want to put Meenah and Vriska through that kinda BS?”   
  
“Girls, come on.” Jade objected, frowning at the two of them. “I know Aranea’s not exactly the nicest but doesn’t that seem a little too much?”   
  
“Jade, if we  _ don’t _ do something then Aranea’s just gonna run roughshod over Vriska and Meenah. Do you remember what happened the last time Meenah and Aranea broke up?” Damara sneered, folding her arms.   
  
Jade clearly did, as she grimaced at the mention of ‘last time’, and instead started playing her bass again. “Well I don’t want any part of it, and don’t you teach Rose either, she doesn’t need that sort of stuff like that.” She warned them.   
  
“That’s fine, we can do it ourselves. I know some nasty ones from my mom.” Damara grinned wickedly, which made Rose vastly uncomfortable.   
  
Feferi gave the eldest girl an unhappy look. “No, Damara. We’re not trying to ruin her life or anything. I have the perfect one in mind, come up with me to the house to get all of the stuff.”    
  
Although she grumbled, Damara followed Feferi up to the beach-house, and Rose gave Jade a nervous look. “Did… I do something wrong?”   
  
“No, Rose. Damara’s just a sadist.” Jade assured her, giving a little smile and plucking away at the strings aimlessly. I’m not really surprised that Feferi went along with it though, she’s very protective of her sister. Her mother?” She wiggled her hand. “Not so much.”   
  
Rose chuckled a little. “I understand that perfectly. Maybe I should-``she cut herself off when she saw Feferi and Damara walking back down the path, Feferi carrying a small box. She couldn’t help but be curious as Feferi set the box down in front of the fire and started passing a few items to Damara.   
  
“Rose, come sit by me.” Jade said, and Rose got up and put herself down next to Jade. Pulling out a symbol Rose didn’t recognize, Jade made a few circular motions and started mumbling something.   
  
“Afraid something will go wrong?” Rose prodded, trying to hide the fact she was getting nervous.   
  
Jade shook her head. “No, I trust these two to do it right. That’s the problem.”   
  
“Light the incense and candles for me, Damara.” Feferi requested, pulling out two jars, one of which was filled to the brim with googly eyes, of all things. Feferi popped the lid of the two jars open and started carefully lining the jar with as much googly eyes as she could, before unfurling a sheet of paper.    
  
Damara had lit a small white candle and used that to light the incense, the sweet smell mixing in with the salty air of the beach and causing Rose’s nose to run a little. She pulled out a long black string and looked at Feferi. “Got the picture?”   
  
“Here.” Feferi said, holding up a photograph. “Let’s do this.”   
  
The temperature suddenly felt very, very cold to Rose. The wind seemed to have an arctic bite to it and she tugged her jacket around her body tightly and pushed against Jade for some warmth. Feferi and Damara seemed eerie in the firelight, their eyes shadowed and their faces gaunt. They crowded together a little and began to recite the spell, their tones and the unfamiliar words sent a shiver up Rose’s spine. As they chanted, Damara nimbly wrapped the paper and the picture together tightly with string, lowering it into the eye-filled jar. The reciting grew louder and the light seemed to drain a little from them, shrouding their bodies in dark shadow as Feferi screwed the lid back on and held aloft the white candle, tipping it and letting the wax drip onto the cold metal. Rose couldn’t avert her eyes away as the chanting reached a pitch and the hot wax hissed against the jar’s lid.    
  
Feferi tipped the candle back and blew on it once, then smiled. “All done!”   
  
Rose blinked, and the world seemed to return to normal. She gaped, clinging onto Jade for dear life who was holding her and rubbing her back soothingly. “What… what on earth…”   
  
“It’s a nifty little curse.” Damara began to explain, tapping the glass of her handiwork. “To keep things simple, we basically made is so people are really critical of Aranea. All of her negativity and bad deeds are going to be a big neon sign for everyone. Understand?”   
  
“I… think so.” Rose nodded.   
  
“Great!” Feferi chirped, clapping her hands together happily. “Now where are those marshmallows at? I brought some sticks!”    
  
Breaking the bag open and skewering the confectioneries on the provided sticks, Rose still felt a little hazy after such a drastic energy shift. Jade busied herself passing out the graham crackers and chocolate, holding it up as Damara extended her hand. “Don’t eat the whole box.  _ Again. _ ”    
  
“I would never.” Damara scoffed, taking a few crackers and smearing her burnt as hell marshmallow on it. “The trick, Rose.” She said, spearing another one and jamming it into the fire. “Is to let it catch fire for a few seconds.” She pulled the flaming mallow back and blew on it smugly. “That way you have a crunchy outside and gooey inside.” Rose blushed when she winked at her.   
  
Feferi rolled her eyes at that, hovering her own nearly melting treat onto her cracker. “Damara, please, we don’t want to hear about your weird sexual euphemisms involving smores. Shut up and eat.” She gave Rose a look and shook her head sadly. “Lost cause.” She mouthed.   
  
Rose stifled a snort and gently toasted her marshmallow over the flames, preferring to barely have it actually be affected by the heat as she squished it down with her pieces of cracker and a thin slab of chocolate. Taking a bite, she sighed happily and leaned against Jade. “You know, this has been a nice night.”   
  
“Yeah?” Jade smiled, her front teeth smeared with melted chocolate. “Well that’s good, because you’re gonna have a lot more of them.”    
  
“Hey, Jade!” Damara called out. “Play something nice and funky!”   
  
Licking at her fingers, Jade rolled her eyes and pulled up her bass again. “Since you asked so  _ nicely _ Damara.” She gave her a teasing grin and started playing again, a fast paced and head bopping tune.   
  
Rose looked up at the stars, warming her feet near the fire and smiled. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a million and one to my witch friend who basically taught me how to cast a curse on someone for the purposes of this story, I owe him big time.


End file.
